Reno swim instructor says she needed dozens of stitches after rare Lake Tahoe otter attack
The Reno-based swim instructor said she hopes to return to the water — or maybe a different spot — once she has healed, but admitted the attack has left her afraid.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- A Reno-based swim instructor was attacked and injured by a wild otter while swimming in Lake Tahoe on Sunday.
- Reports indicate she needed over two dozen stiches.
- The attack has left her afraid, but she hopes to return to the water once healed.
LAKE TAHOE, Nev.- What began as a peaceful swim in Lake Tahoe quickly turned into a frightening encounter with a wild otter, leaving one woman injured and afraid to return to the water she calls her "peace and sanctuary."
On Sunday, Reno-based swim instructor Lynnette Bellin said she was swimming in the East Shore of Lake Tahoe for about 30 minutes when she felt something grab her leg.
She posted her whole experience to Instagram, describing the incident in detail through a series of videos.
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"I thought it was a person until I saw the otter," Bellin wrote. "It kept coming at me with teeth and claws."
Majestic landscape of crystal blue high attitude Lake Tahoe in Nevada state, USA surrounded by mountains and pine forest in sunny summer day
(VisualStories / Getty Images / Getty Images)
The video shows her visibly injured following the attack, with blood seen on her face, hands, legs and goggles.
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The woman said she needed over two dozen stitches following the attack.
She said she tried to push the animal away and eventually made her way onto a nearby rock, but the otter continued to attack her.
Incline Village, Nevada, United States – October 22, 2019: A bicyclist rides along Lake Tahoe's East Shore Trail between Sand Harbor State Park and the town of Incline Village.
(Wirestock / Getty Images / Getty Images)
"I swear it was a 5-minute attack! I was yelling and pushing, and it kept coming for me," she said.
Bellin said she eventually climbed onto a larger rock and was able to escape as the otter continued circling the area, leaving her unable to return to the lake.
She said she then climbed over rocks and a fence to reach the East Shore Bike Trail, where a biker called the authorities.
Bellin noted that none of the emergency personnel that responded to the incident had ever heard of an otter attack in Tahoe. She even googled the average attacks and found that there have been 59 otter attacks since 1875.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA, UNITED STATES - 2021/02/20: General view of the Lake Tahoe. (Photo by Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"So I guess I’m the lucky 60! Do I get a shirt?!" she joked on Instagram.
The unfortunate incident has left her feeling "robbed" from her "peace and sanctuary," she said.
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She said she hopes to return to the water — or maybe a different spot — once she has healed, but admitted the attack has left her afraid. Swimming in Lake Tahoe has been one of her longtime favorite things to do.